Merops malimbicus
The Rosy Bee-eater (*Merops malimbicus*) is a strikingly colored, medium-sized avian jewel of West and Central Africa, immediately recognizable by its unique rosy-pink underparts. Measuring approximately 22-25 cm in length (excluding its long tail streamers, which can add up to 8 cm), and weighing around 40-50 grams, this species boasts a vibrant palette. Key field marks include a rosy-pink throat and belly contrasting sharply with an azure-blue rump and lower back, a deep black eye-stripe (m...
Primarily found in open woodlands, savannas, forest edges, riverine clearings, and cultivated areas, typically at low to moderate elevations.
Feeds almost exclusively on flying insects, predominantly bees and wasps, but also dragonflies, butterflies, and beetles, caught in agile aerial pursuits.
Rosy Bee-eaters are highly diurnal and exceptionally social birds, frequently seen in large, vocal flocks, especially outside the breeding season, often roosting communally in trees. Their foraging strategy is classic bee-eater: they sally from exposed perches to snatch flying insects mid-air, re...
The Rosy Bee-eater has a relatively restricted, yet stable, distribution across West and Central Africa. Its breeding and resident range extends from southern Nigeria eastward through Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko Island), Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and Cabinda (an Angolan e...
Least Concern
- Rosy Bee-eaters are experts at venom removal, skillfully rubbing stinging insects like bees and wasps against a perch to discharge their venom before consumption. - They are one of the most colonial bee-eater species, nesting in large, dense colonies that can number in the hundreds or even thou...